On space, time and the fondest of farewells…

Comments

72 Responses

I wondered how you did it — put in so much time to put out a top-quality effort and yet be whatever else you were on this planet.

Now I know. It burned you out. NOW.

You’ll feel different come mid-July.

YES, Chronicle needs and Texan fans deserve better football coverage.

Odd to write that when we have a HOF voter as chief correspondent and a frequent on-TV guy as utility infielder. But, they’re weak. Little news from either. John has become a name-dropper and RJ seems to have a problem with focus (though he does much better with baseball). Jlo adds good value but he is another utility infielder.

BUT, reading your commentary was a joy this football season. I think your finest work was around Fred Werry’s legal troubles – you being a lawyer.

You MET your object – to provide a virtual sports bar. Your work and you will be missed. Thanks for your care!

Well, phooey, Steph. You’ve had the only football blog I’ve ever read, and if you go away, I guess it will remain the only football blog I’ve ever read. Nevertheless, I fully understand that you have invested an enormous amount of time, which your family and friends will be delighted to have returned to them. You’ve done a great job!

All work and no play well you know the rest Steph. Was truly a great and enjoyable past time to come to your ‘club house’ and hear more than just the talking heads and chronic beat reporters repostings. Your touch, entertainment, poignant POV and candor will certainly be missed here, but we look forward to seeing you as still a regular over at the ‘Texans club house and at the tailgates.

I figured you would mention that you were going to miss my posts. After all, I am a Dallas Cowboy fan. Also nice to see you found out what I was talking about; regarding the “Fly-over” at a Super Bowl, and unless you’re a fan of one of the teams, why go?

Thank you for your contribution to the Chronicle website. You’re a good writer with a great turn of phrase, and your blog entries will be missed. Hopefully we’ll still get a dose of your wit on the Texans board.

I’ve never posted to your blog, but I’ve often read it. It always struck me as the most intelligent sports blog on the Chronicle. It is not easy to find insightful, patient and intellectually stimulating sports talk, whether it is in blog form, radio form or print form. Most sports talk involves guys yelling their opinions at each other, believing that whoever yells the loudest must be right. And if yelling doesn’t achieve their goal, then they roll out the schoolboy namecalling routine. All very dull and testosterone-y. Ugh.

Sports blogs surely do not occupy the top space on your priority list (thankfully), so I can understand you wanting to have more time to do other things that are more meaningful. But I would ask that you at least consider this a temporary “time-out”. Could you just keep your options open for the time being? Maybe think again come July or August?

Sorry to see you go, Steph. I’ve really enjoyed your blog, and I’ll really miss is come next August or so. But, I understand burning out and getting rid of commitments that you find are taking away from more important parts of your life.

I hope whatever brings you happiness you have in buckets full! I agree with above poster that the IQ level has dropped considerably at the Chronicle sports dept. Of course what would I know I am just a Texans fan. TIL DEATH! Or they leave town! Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do! Enjoy & maybe we can see a Superbowl victory in our lifetime! GO TEXANS!!!! Hasta la Vista Baby!!!!!!!!!!!

I’ve only posted here a few times, but I’ve read your blog regularly since the first one. The information you’ve provided (before/during/after) this season has been EXCELLENT as another resource for hopeful Texans fans like me. The opinions you offered have always been bolstered by legit facts, which is rapidly becoming a forgotten concept in sports reporting.

I really appreciate all the details and hard work you have put into this blog. I’ve found everything to be relevant and useful to Texans Fans, which I believe was your aim here. I’m especially grateful that you had the patience to deal with all of the hopeless whining, complaning, and spiteful comments that were posted. You dealt with everything fans had to say, responded frankly, and tried to keep things light and humorous. Above all you’ve always tried to be constructive and optimistic, which any real Texans fan has to be.

Like many other fans, I’m sorry to see you go. You did a great job and the bar is set pretty high for the next fan blogger. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU TEXANS CHICK.

As a regular, i gotta say that you leaving saddens me. I know its for the best, and you probably have good reasons so I hope you and your family well in whatever the future brings…

I gotta admit, it was some of the best debate out there. You actually took time to reply to us (thus showing you actually read these things) and, most importantly, even though you had biases when it came to your team (and frankly we all do) for the most part your blog wasnt aimed at pointing fingers , but more to fixing problems when it came to the texans…A true class act….take care e

I’ve limited myself to reading your blog and not boring anybody with my mundane comments, instead choosing just to sit back and enjoy yours’ and others insight as well as laugh at some of the bottom feeders that frequent these waters.

However, upon reading about your early “retirement” I just wanted to say thanks. I’ve really appreciated your knowledge of the game, the Texans in particular, and the sense of humor you brought to the table.

Your patience with the broken records on here is certainly commendable. I doubt I could have displayed the same decorum.

Best wishes to you and your’ Family and please come back to laugh at these jokers when the Texans put it all together, even without draft choice X.

Some of us out there want to hear more about the team than the quarterback position or the first pick in 2006.Stephanie, I used to think I was absolutely ignorant about football, despite playing as a kid, and enjoying it as a spectator for years.Since hearin the ad nauseum discussions about the Texans’ “needs” on this and other blogs, however, I’ve come to realize I’m actually a freakin’ genius.First and foremost, the Texans’ needs are so deep and so wide, any discussion of how they’d have been “totally turned around” with the selection of X in the last draft is meaningless, completely meaningless.There are so many variables in building a football team, that the average “fan” can’t possibly follow them all to any sort of logical conclusion, so they hyper-simplify, focusing solely on the so-called “skill positions.” Ergo, the endless and simple-minded “discussions” you reference in your post.Ask yourself this: What is it, exactly, that coaches and players do when they “break down film”? Do you REALLY think they sit there and look at the Quarterback, at the Running Back, and at the receivers frame after frame?No, they look at EVERYTHING, particularly those things that aren’t so apparent at first glance, the action taking place away from the ball, the battle in the trenches, etc.Those things are important, and those players are vital. Ignoring them to concentrate only on “skill players” is insanity.But most of the loudest voices on the blogs and on sports-talk radio aren’t necessarily the most sane.

Well, I hate to see this blog end. I can certainly appreciate the emotions you are going through. I have cut back on my posting because many of the posts on the other blogs also have been a majority of trash talking rather than giving a decent opinion on the subject.

I am glad you and Diane had fun. How were your seats? As for rooting for one of the teams, I had to go with the Colts. They are in our division and we were the last ones to beat them.

Take care Stephanie. I am hoping come July you get back into it. We real fans need your point of view. See you in August!

She said: “I have a love/hate relationship with sports talk and newspapers.”

She meant: “I can stomach the General, but that darned Richard Justice…”

She said: “I really follow both closely, but to find a few nuggets of interesting things, you have to endure a lot of superficial and silly. I’m not one to reject dessert, but I want to have some dinner first.”

It will be sad to see you go, and it could be ugly for your replacement: Already I don’t like him.

It was nice touching base with you in Miami and believe me, I think you should reconsider. You weren’t trained to be a journalist, yet you were put in a situation where you were treated as such by readers, and that is quite difficult. I think you handled it extremely well. Tough to be that thick-skinned … I know.

Most people that do what I do have a serious shutdown at the end of a long season, rejuvenate in the offseason and come out firing when training camp/spring training begins.

Step back, rest a spell and rethink it. You’re right, this is supposed to be fun. But as you can see, more of your regular readers appreciate what you do than not. Ignore the idiots. That’s what the delete button is for. You should read some of the posts that come The King’s way. (BTW, don’t make The King issue an edict demanding that you stay.)

If you are indeed done, good job and good luck. And when the Texans make it to the Super Bowl, you know where you can get Commissioner’s Party tickets. Not that you’re the partying type…

It’s been an absolute pleasure to read this blog. Not only were your posts insightful, but I think you raised the collective bar for the other Chronicle football bloggers (Feigen/Fran have always been solid). It seems the General has stepped up his game, and the addition of the King has been great fun. Tricky Dick’s blog, on the other hand…um…

You must learn how to cover a Super Bowl and then recharge your batteries. Take a few days off and then come back because you’ll be sorely missed by many, including those of us at the Chron. You brought a rare insight from a dedicated fan’s point of few, and you put it in language everyone could understand. I think you should reconsider. After all, I’ve been thinking for the last two years that you might be closing in on my job. Take care. Have fun. Be safe. You will be missed.

Count me in as a fan of yours. Yours is always the blog I check first for anything Texans. You are an excellent writer and I didn’t have any idea you had such nice legs until the ultimate fan contest. Yep, guy first. You always displayed a sensitivity and patience in your writings that is an example that more people should follow. Yes, I want you to stay TC, but I don’t want you to have to be subjected to the meanness that frequents these blogs. I hope you have fun in whatever you do and know that you were genuinely appreciated as a voice of reason. Back to being a guy. Are you going to post any pics of you and Diane wearing your Texans gear at the SB?

Your retirement from this blog is our loss! Despite some of the idiotic rants posted by some people on this blog (COWBOY comes to mind), your blog actually had a high proportion of reasonable & intelligent discussion, along with a perspective we fans do not get from the Chronicle columnists.

Very sorry to see you go. I will try to find your material on other websites.

Thanks all for the very kind words. I’m not going to be blogging, but I’m not dead, so that’s all good. If you actually care to read what my opinions on all things Texans and other stuff are, you can find my very typoed, half-thought opinions not meant for semi-publication at the Texans official MB:

As far as sports MBs go, the official one is a very football focused one. People can share all sorts of opinions, some good, some goofy, but people looking to troll get hosed. People share a lot of news links there too.

Mark,

Not really any bad seats in that stadium. It was weird, our seats were just about in the same location that they are at Reliant–10 yard line, visitor level–but instead of field level, they were half way up the top deck.

When the jets went over pregame, you almost felt like you could touch them.

Dolphin Stadium has a couple of features that are neat. The escalators start from the ground floor and go all the way up to the top level without stopping. So it is really easy to get to up high seats.

They also have nice alcoholic beverage choices for people in the cheap seats. (Okay, there is no such thing cheap seats, but you know what I mean). I wasn’t drinking because I was driving, but the Patriot fan next to me was fond of the Silver Patron Tequila. We had a Saints fan on the other side of us (corporate seats), and then mostly Bears fans in front and behind us.

I’ve never been to a game before where I didn’t really have a rooting interest. It’s nice to do for mostly free, but I wouldn’t pay money to do it. Not enough endorphins involved.

DM,

I’m not much of a party pic person, and I can tell you that taking pictures of myself at the Super Bowl would have been a. Difficult to do in the rain; b. Drowned rat looking anyways.

Jerome and John,

You are very kind. After this last year, I really appreciate all the work that goes into what you do.

I’ve never played journalist, but I have never thought more about what the role of sports journalists are in an age of TV, blogs, 24 hour sports news. Figuring out what you want to write about but also what your audience wants to read.

I can see how your job is amazing but is a lot of work, and whatever the Chronicle pays, they should pay you more. But not Justice, because he didn’t come over here and say anything niiiiice to me. 🙂

To everyone,

I am neither burnt out nor runnoft. If I had enough time, I write any number of things about the Texans. It was just that I tried to imagine how long I was going to be spending this much time on this.

It has been terribly fun, I love the conversation, but for me to do this the way I wanted to took a lot of time. Time really hard to justify for a hobby.

Everybody only has one life, and in my opinion, they shouldn’t spend it juggling unless they have to or are a professional clown. If your unpaid hobby starts feeling like real work, well then, that is a sign you need to stop.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. This blog for me was about a time and place in my life. May 2006. A pretty low time to be a proud Texan fan. Certainly a difficult time to find out more information about what the entire team is supposed to look like in the upcoming year with a new coaching staff.

The stuff I enjoyed writing the most was last summer. Trying to figure out what the team was going to look like, and figuring out what I was supposed to be seeing on the field. Writing things I wasn’t reading anywhere else. For me, it makes it more fun to watch the games when you know what they are trying to do.

Then it was interesting see what they were doing on the field, and how it did or did not correspond with what they were trying to do. And thinking some on the reasons for that and picking other people’s brains.

Those sorts of stories don’t go away, of course, but at such a low time for the team and the fanbase as a whole, I just felt compelled to publicly connect some dots and see what other people were thinking.

Thank you once again for reading and commenting. And, I agree, the off-season is always too long.

Wow! I didn’t expect to come in today, read my hometown sports page online and get to one of my favorite blogs and see that the wonderful, dedicated, intelligent and insightful author is hanging up her helmet! This is a very sad day for me and the fellow Texans fans above who have really been blessed with your bloggin presence. I don’t live in Houston anymore, but because of you, I looked forward to the chron.com/sports section more often then when I actually did and read the actual paper. You also led me to other sources of all Texans, like the FanHouse, which apparently as big of a fan as I am, I apparently didn’t have a clue about anything. Now I will be looking at the FanHouse, just to find a snibbit of your opinions that I have enjoyed reading here at the chron.

I told my sister a few months ago (who is an Assistant State Attorney in Miami) that I found a smarter lawyer then her, that was better looking, AND enjoyed the game of football passionately along with her hometown Texans. I also told her that you could probably give me a good run for my money with regards to overall knowledge of the game and ultimate FAN-NESS for the Texans! Of course, she found all of the above very difficult to even fathom.

If I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to say Hello to you at a Texans home game some day and of course to hear the voice behind the intelligent pen (or keystroke), then I’ll let that be the day I am no longer sad about you retiring your blog. I’ll even give you an invite: In the Green lot and in Section 114, face-painted guy by the tunnel, if you ask enough you’ll eventually find me, and it would be my honor to buy you a round.

Unequivocally, YOU HAVE RAISED THE BAR, and you will be truly missed.

Here’s to you, your family and your future. God Bless the Texans Chick!

I for one hope you change your mind. Cramped flights, no sleep, a rainy expensive Miami and a moron or two in your inbox upon your return will no doubt smudge the tint on your normally sunny disposition. No, you don’t get paid, yes, it is no doubt a lot of hard work but perhaps your blog has gotten a bit carried away. You needn’t put so much into it every time nor post a fresh one quite so often especially in the off-season.

You have a very sharp mind. Surely as you sit on your couch over the weekend you can continue to ponder something inciteful regarding The Texans and their direction and then spend 15 minutes or so at the keyboard on a weekly basis. Sometimes, just getting a 2 or 3 paragraph thought out there from you causes the responses to start pouring in and your blog sort of takes on a life of itz own and writes itself for a few days.

There should be periods of the season where you needn’t say so much as activity ebbs and flows. You only write about The Texans and not the Stros or Rockets or thank goodness, soccer. Don’t let a few knuckleheads sour you on what comes across in your writing as fun and natural. You can tell as you read a post quickly that itz stupid; delete it and move on. Let Diane or hubby edit out the idiots before you even decide whose responses to post so your feelings don’t get hurt. Lots of us will miss what you have to say and what those who follow you have to say as well but every post neededn’t be a 1500 word essay with 12 links to big glossy photos . . . . .

Hope you understand that a lot of my “off the cuff” comments were merely playing the Devil’s Advocate against whatever point of view any columnist or Blog was promoting. Enjoyed your opinions. At least you don’t send personal emails scolding me like McLain does. There aren’t many women who are smart, sports fans and goodlooking. Have Fun and Lighten Up.

No kinda comments would ever drive me away, though I can see how you could read my last entry as suggesting that.

I just put that comment there as a sense of the obligation I felt–I had a great trip, but I didn’t particularly feel compelled to blog about it. It was fun LIVING and DOING in Miami as opposed to writing about it.

I was actually amazed at over the year how many really good comments I received, how few ugly comments I got. The autospam comments were just about the ugliest stuff I ever saw. Nobody done hurt my wittle feewings, though I have lost patience a time or five.

I wouldn’t traded my Miami experience for the world–it was a stone cold blast and I’d do it again in a heartbeat if money were no object. And I will be at the SB with bells on when the Texans go.

Jack, generally, I thought you were pretty funny, but I have to say that it amuses me to no end that John scolds you.

Sparky, I only have two basic speeds: on or off. If there is something I choose to do, I’m going to do it all out or I’m not going to do it at all. I don’t know why I’m that way, but I just am. Enthusiasm is a hard thing to put a leash around. I’m sure a lot of you understand that.

…I’m not dead…“What did she say?””Nothing, here’s your ninepence.””She says she’s not dead!””Well, she will be soon, she’s very ill…”BTW, Steph, how does your successor look in swimwear?Thanks for the memories.I SAID “MEMORIES!”

Thanks for taking the time to write. I have enjoyed your blog. It’s obvious to most of us that you know alot about football and you are a passionate, but fair, Texans fan as well. Thanks again for all your time and insight.

I’m sorry I just couldn’t help myself. I had to take one last shot while this blog is still active. Lord forgive me. From profootballtalk.com , this one is for you Cowboy:

Keeping with widespread scuttlebutt that owner Jerry Jones was looking primarily for a guy who would do his bidding, a league source told us: ” Jones finally got his wish. He gets to coach the team. I know there are many people in the league who can’t stop laughing.

“Dallas has relegated itself to the bottom of the NFC East for years to come,” the source addedd. “They might even start competing with Detroit. Wade does not have a strong personality and he will be eaten up by Jones. Dave Campo will look like an all time great before this is over.”

Ouch. But given that Phillips and the other finalist for the job, 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner, have both been fired twice from NFL head-coaching gigs, many believe that Jones intentionally aimed low so that he would be able to impose his will on the coach.

I’m sorry to hear your leaving. I never posted comments on your blog, but I always admired your work. You’re the best the Chronicle has (had) to offer. Great job on the postings and good luck in other endeavors.

Stephanie, I know how you feel in a lot of ways. I have over 20,000 posts since 2005 in a Houston Astros EzBoard ( Speedy’s board ) listed on the AstrosDaily.com forums.

I have also posted a lot in the HoustonProFootball message board ( on various account names ), but I spent most of my time on Speedy’s EzBoard under the account name RyanED.

I think I became sort of famous in a weird way, because someone created and used my ” RyanED ” screen name on ClutchFans.net and it wasn’t even me.

I post a lot about the Texans, Rockets, Astros and I’m not a sports journalist. I type endlessly due to my passion and knowledge for Houston Sports.

It got to the point where it started to feel like a job and not about having fun. That is when I decided to simply quit. However, I have since posted 60 more times in the past few months to see if I could re-energize my old fuel, but I think I might be done for good on all internet message boards. I don’t need the stress anymore, and quite frankly, it can get you emotionally drained if you go at it ( posting wise ) like a workhorse like I did in that EzBoard.

I feel the same way you do Stephanie. Once I decide to do something, I go all out and do it like no other. There is no in between. You either do it the best you can or you don’t do it all.

Take care and God bless you and your family Stephanie. You’re a wonderful person.

I am trying to relax more these days. I am doing things I enjoy. More time away from internet chatrooms and internet message boards has been a good thing for me. I even remembered what a church looked like, as I attended Lakewood Church and met Joel Osteen recently.

It’s funny in a lot of ways, but sports can sometimes take over our lives. We forget what is really the most important things in this world. I’m just starting to realize right now in my mid 20’s that spending nearly 10 hours a day discussing the Texans, Astros, and Rockets isn’t healthy for me. I need to get a life and have a passion for more important things, which I am starting to do.

I like others, never write on the blog but read it with great interest all the time. You have content on par with McLain and better than everyone else who pulls a paycheck. I hope that you will reconsider.

Just a note to Jack that I bet TC would love to write but is too much of a lady to actually write… We’ve all met people like you who like to play “devil’s advocate” all the time. Most of us don’t or can’t say it, but we think people like you are just the devil, not any kind of advocate. Steph has put up with you and others like you – and she gets no hazard pay!! I know from personal experience that it gets old dealing with people who seem to have no real purpose in life except questioning and downing those around them who are passionate about something. Don’t tell her to lighten up. Try shutting up. Or be man enough to quit hiding behind the “I’m just playing devil’s advocate” card and put yourself out there. Yeah right, who am I talking to, anyway?

The worst part of life is that no one says that they care until you don’t care anymore. I am guilty, but if you can come back, I promise to say it more often! If you choose to stay gone, remember that your days on this blog made a lot of people’s lives a little bit more enjoyable. I knew more about the Texans after reading your blog and the great links you always included (you do this better than anyone else on the Chron). No doubt there are many people just like me that you never really heard from. I wish you the best!

Differing opinions. Opposing views. Disagreeing with Steph. Well Excuuuuuuuuse me. Hope that wasn’t your husband above demeaning me because I mentioned you were good looking. And the Texans will win a Super Bowl one day. Enjoyed your stuff.

Stephanie:…It seems that you have been leaving for over a week now. I have enjoyed reading your site but now am getting tired of seeing your grande departure. Is this ego? You like hearing all the nice things being said? Is this a funeral? Please go now!…Thanks!

I have never posted a single comment on this blog before, but I’ve read it several times before and kept up with it as often as I could. You are indeed an excellent blogger and brought wonderful and fairly objective insight, which I found to be great perspective from a Texans fan. I’ll certainly miss reading this blog. I hope that you reconsider, but in the event that you don’t, I wish you well in your future endeavors.

Cher has been on a farewell tour for 4 years now and still sells ooooodles of tickets and isn’t as hot as our Stephanie or at least isn’t anymore. Ms Stephanie, you just take all the time you need and make as many circles around the field as you like. The Chronicle may find someone else to do your blog but you will never be replaced. Here’s to still hoping that you change your mind once early April rolls around with warmer weather and interesting draft day scenarios. . . . .

After you showed us your “football chic” wardrobe I said “the team will improve, but Texans Chick cannot be improved.” You have proven it again with your thoughtful comments. All future blessings to a great fan — and a great lady.